Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-10-07
suffice to keep you in silk gowns every

Hattie May field scarcely knew
: whether to laugh or cry, when she
bad safely escaped from the presence
of this terribly old Cerberus. Here,
then, was the secret of her troubles
Little petty annoyances, such as she
could not relate to the good old aun-
ties, nor yet to the nearest neighbors,
but which, nevertheless, stung her
sometimes into absolute madness.
Col. Hopkins was prying and dicta-
torial, Maurice May field was despotic
and stern-and Hattie, who bad al
ways had her own way as much as
any butterfly which scared through
the sunshine, and the chaifiing OF
these invisible chains something al
most unendurable.
Dinner YVES ready when Mr.. May
field returned from his Office in the
main street of the village, and Hattie,
with rose pinned in her hair, sat at
the table, smiling q sweet welcome
dr.. May field glanced at the board.
"Poultry, eb?" said he.
Stuffed duck and Olives" said
Hattie. "And a dish of scalloped
oysters. l hope you'll like them,
Maurice. for I made tbemself."
my DEAR" said Mr.. Mayfeld,
"isn't this rather elaborate for fami-
ly of three?"
"Tbree don't want to be starved
any r. ere than thirteen" said Hattie
my Maria never bad poultry ex-
cept on Sundays" said Col. Hopkins
Our table nowadays is terribly eX.
travagars! Look at those olives!
And see the plum tarts! tell you
what, Maurice, there has got to be a
reform, or we shall be in the poor
house"
"Oh, by the bye," said Mrs. May
field, ignoring the remarks of her
husbands iather-in.law, "have you
heard anything about the surprise
party at the Rectory!"
"Yes," said Mr. Maybe coldly.
"But / declined to have anything to
do with it."
Did you?" said Hattie, with rising
color. Il am sorry to hear that, be-
cause l am going there"
II think not, Hattie!"
("I told you so,'D said the
Colonel, In an audible aside.
But am" said Hattie. "The
rector's wife is my nearest friend. |
am the one who proposed the whole
affair, and l intend to 60"
mot with my permission" said
Maurice.
without it then," said Hattie.
Harriet % said Colonel Hopkins,
sepulchrally - Harriet! recollect
yoprself!"
Maurice" said the young wife,
with quiver In her voice, may !
not go?"
mo !" said May field, sternly; 81
do not intend that my wife shall be
village gad-about !'
Il will go!" cried Hattie, excitedly.
1--WE shall see about that" said
May field.
"My Maria would never have re-
belled in this way against her hus-
bands authority" croaked COL Hop
gins, shaking his head slowly to and
| fro.
Hattie was resolute. MIR. May
] field, in his way, was equally obstln-
ate. and, when she dressed herself to
20 to the surprise party and found the
door locked on her, she quietly open
ed the window, maze All inprolptp
ladder of the wisteria vine, and trip
ped away across the meadows.
"There!' said she; "I'll stay in no
house where ! am not the mistressl
Well see how Maurice and the old
Colonel will get along together-es-
peel ally since they dismissed the
hired girl because My Maria always
did her own houseworkn ,
For Hatt;e's spirit was aroused at
last:
"Since Harriet has chosen to leave
US in this way" said Mr.. May field,
sternly, "she may remain away until
she retufas in o proper spirit OF hu'
mility and repentance"
VERY right, very right" said Col.
Hopkins, my Maria would never
have dreamed of setting martial
authority at defiance ia this manner.
As for Hattie, she went cheerfuliy
to visit her old aunts.
II will not go hack until ] can go
back on my own terms" said she.
affairs had got to come to a crisis
sooner or later, and perhaps it is just
as we'll that l eloped on the night of
the surprise party"
The garrison held out brayely for
three days. At the end of that time
Colonel Hopkins fell sick of rheu-
matte fever
u wish Harriet was here" be
moaned, Nobody nas eyer ngrsed
me so we'll as Harriet did when l had
that carbuncle on my neck"
The inefficient "help" who had been
installed in the kitchen departed with
most OF toe faaily silyer-two of Mr..
May fields college ohums saAe TO
visit him without notice-cnd Maur-
ice knew not which way to turn.
"Go after Harriet" said the poor
old Colonel, who was twisting and
grQaning among his pillows.
"She viii not retsrp, fear" said
Maurice, despondently, f'Ellass We
stipulate to let ber do as she pleases
for the future"
"Stipulate anything!" groaned Col.
Hopkins. "Tell her l won't meddle
any more! Say you've seen the folly
of your Eaysl Oh, dear! why did
we persist in tormenting her, cen
see it all now poor child! We were
completely in the wrong, you and L.
We were a pair of tyrantsl !"
81 EN- afraid we were." said Maur.
ice. "But, in asking her to return,
we shall be seriously compromising
or dignity, shall we not ?"
dignity be aapgea'" said the Col
onel, as a particularly keen pang
searched through his bones, Harriet
is the sunshine of the house! We
can't get along without her. We
must have her back again"
Mr.. Mayfeld went to his wife.
Hattie ran to meet him with smile
and outstretched hands.